Smart container and orchestration engine configured to dynamically adapt multi-carrier transport processes

ABSTRACT

A system includes an orchestration engine and a smart container. The system can dynamically update a transport process for transporting the smart container to a destination based on status data to use a combination of multiple carriers. The smart container can report status notifications while the transport process is ongoing. Examples of carriers include national/global carriers, regional/local carriers, gig workers, corporate/contracted carriers, or short-range delivery services such as unmanned autonomous robots, land vehicles, or aerial vehicles (e.g., drones). As such, the system can take advantage of a diverse ecosystem of carriers and adapt the transport process in real-time to optimize for a target parameter such as a time remaining to the destination, a distance remaining to the destination, or a cost to complete the transport process.

BACKGROUND

Smart objects are products, assets, and other objects embedded withprocessors, sensors, software, and connectivity that allow data to beexchanged between themselves and their environment, manufacturer,operator/user, and other objects and systems. Also known assmart-connected things, smart objects enhance their interactions withboth people and other smart objects. The connectivity enables somecapabilities of the product to exist outside the physical device in whatis known as the product cloud. The data collected from the products canbe analyzed to inform decision-making, enable operational efficiencies,and continuously improve product performance. Thus, in general, aphysical object is considered “smart” if it is active, digital,networked, can operate to some extent autonomously, is reconfigurable,and/or has local control over resources it needs such as energy, datastorage, etc.

In one example, a smart device is an electronic device, generallyconnected to other devices or networks via different wireless protocols(e.g., Bluetooth, Zigbee, NFC, WiFi, LiFi, 5G), that can operate to someextent interactively or autonomously. Several notable examples of smartdevices include smartphones, smart vehicles, smart thermostats, smartdoorbells, smart locks, smart refrigerators, phablets and tablets,smartwatches, smart bands, and smart keychains. Smart devices aretypically composed of a hardware layer (which can include a wirelesscommunication system), a network layer (through which devicescommunicate with each other), and an application layer (through whichend users deliver commands). A collection of smart devices can form asmart environment, which links computers and other smart devices toeveryday settings and tasks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Detailed descriptions of implementations of the present invention willbe described and explained through the use of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a wireless communicationssystem including a smart container.

FIG. 2 is a diagram that illustrates a system for transporting a smartcontainer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram that illustrates security and communicationscapabilities of a smart container.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram that illustrates processes to actively secure asmart container during transit and delivery.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart that illustrates a process performed by a smartcontainer to dynamically update a transport process for the smartcontainer.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart that illustrates a process performed by anorchestration engine to dynamically update a transport process for thesmart container.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram that illustrates an example of a computersystem in which at least some operations described herein can beimplemented.

The technologies described herein will become more apparent to thoseskilled in the art from studying the Detailed Description in conjunctionwith the drawings. Embodiments or implementations describing aspects ofthe invention are illustrated by way of example, and the same referencescan indicate similar elements. While the drawings depict variousimplementations for the purpose of illustration, those skilled in theart will recognize that alternative implementations can be employedwithout departing from the principles of the present technologies.Accordingly, while specific implementations are shown in the drawings,the technology is amenable to various modifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosed technology includes an orchestration engine and a smartcontainer of a system that can dynamically update a transport processfor transporting the smart container by using a combination of multipletypes of carriers. Examples of carrier types include national/globalcarriers, regional/local carriers, gig workers, corporate/contractedcarriers, short-distance delivery services such as unmanned autonomousrobots, land vehicles, or aerial vehicles (e.g., drones), or along-distance carrier of unmanned autonomous vehicles. The system cantake advantage of an ecosystem of carrier types and adapt the transportprocess in real-time to optimize for a target parameter such as a timeremaining to a destination, a distance remaining to the destination, ora cost to advance the transport process. The system can also leverageunused capacity of carriers by dynamically optimizing the route andcarriers.

The smart container has a volume for securing a package and includes acombination of electronic, mechanical, connectivity, and other “smart”components. The combination enables improved routing and delivery withdynamic reconfigurability of transport processes, which are monitorableand reportable in real-time or near real-time. In some implementations,smart containers include security capabilities such as authenticationmechanisms to monitor whether unauthorized entities are handling thesmart containers or attempting to access their content.

The system can utilize multiple types of carriers to transport the smartcontainer to a destination. In one example, a company can use a smartcontainer to send a replacement/new device that was ordered online by acustomer, such as a new mobile phone sent to a subscriber. The companycan have a list of carriers from which it chooses to transport thedevice inside the smart container. Factors that the company couldconsider when choosing a carrier include an estimated delivery time, thedelivery location, transport routes, costs, special handlingrequirements, etc. The choice of certain types of carriers can belimited and there are tradeoffs between speed and cost of shippingdepending on the types of carriers. For example, the choice ofconventional carriers is limited for destinations in rural areas.Moreover, once a carrier has been selected and the transport processcommences, the sender is unable to seamlessly change carriers despiteother carriers becoming more cost-effective or faster or despite thecurrent carrier becoming suboptimal during the transport process.

The smart container can track and report the status of the transportprocess and semi-autonomously make changes on the fly as needed. Thiscan be implemented by commercial entities to improve customer experiencefor online purchases to provide speedy delivery, repairs, andreplacements. In addition, the technology improves service in ruralmarkets where shipping choices are limited. As a result, the commercialentity can expand its footprint by utilizing different types of carriersthat normally operate independently to potentially serve numerous newcustomers. Accompanying benefits include dynamic discovery of optimalroutes, as well as real-time communications that are sender-independentand carrier-independent for tracking smart containers, securingtransport processes, and semi-autonomously adapting transport processes.

The smart containers can utilize packaging technology to enclose andprotect goods as packages contained therein for storage and shipment,and expand the capabilities of delivery services of postal systems,express mail services, private courier companies, andless-than-truckload shipping carriers. Alternatively, the smartcontainers enable shipping-service agnostic shipping and can functionindependent of persons or resources affiliated with any commercialshipping service. The disclosed technology also mitigates loss of thesmart container while in transit, and mitigates against smart containersbeing stolen, tampered with, or damaged despite being shipping-serviceagnostic, and ensures that the smart containers can only be opened byintended recipients. The smart containers include communicationscapabilities that are realized via Internet connectivity through acellular network or, alternatively, achieved via Bluetooth, Near-FieldCommunication (NFC), Wi-Fi, etc., in other settings.

In an example implementation, a smart container includes mechanicaldevices that can rectify problems that occur during shipping ordelivery. This is particularly important if the items being shipped arefragile because they would need to be handled with care and perhaps alsoremain upright while being transported. For example, mechanicalactuators embedded in a smart container can return the package to anupright position after impact and/or rotation. The actuators canfunction autonomously based on data generated locally by orientationsensors, or they could respond to commands communicated wirelessly overa communications network from a remote management system.

In another implementation, a smart container includes atemperature-control or air-conditioning system that can cool down ordehumidify a smart container's contents (to some extent) in response toa local sensor measuring temperature or humidity outside a desiredrange. Thus, the smart containers can activate temperature controlmechanisms as needed to maintain the contents at a desired temperature.This is particularly important when, for example, perishable itemscannot be exposed to temperatures and/or humidity levels beyond aprescribed range while being shipped.

Thus, smart containers can perform at least three functions: (1)generate status data including monitoring an environment (e.g.,location, temperature, physical position, or orientation); (2)communicate status data in real-time or near-real time to authorizedparties (e.g., sender, recipient, shipping management service, lawenforcement); and (3) perform actions in response to the status data toremedy detected issues, such as activating actuators or a temperaturecontrol system.

The smart containers enhance logistical convenience and reliability in avariety of delivery settings, including returns, exchanges, trade-ins,repairs, etc. Moreover, the smart containers are compatible with bothmanual, human-based delivery as well as automated delivery services thatuse drones or other types of robots, for example. The possible use casesare quite numerous and broad in scope, and a few representativeembodiments are described herein.

In one example, a telecommunications company can use smart containers toship smartphones to consumers by employing conventional transportservices, cross-transport services, or transport-independent resourceswhile still safeguarding against being stolen, tampered with, lost, ormisrouted and additionally provide same hour delivery. In anotherexample, a consumer can conveniently use a smart container to return,exchange, or trade-in a smartphone. For example, the telecommunicationscompany can send a smart container to the consumer, which can use anydriver to transport a smartphone in the smart container to a local storeaffiliated with the telecommunications company.

A package can be locked in a smart container and is inaccessible withoutvalid authorization. For example, the smart container can have a doorthat enables access to the package when opened and prohibits access whenclosed and locked. The lock can be electronically controlled andoperable to lock/unlock via a number pad or touch screen on the smartcontainer. The smart container can include a biometric sensor thatpermits access to the package when a biometric scan (e.g., facedetection, fingerprint) matches a stored biometric scan of an authorizedrecipient. For example, the smart container can include an externalcamera that is capable of scanning human faces and a GPS (GlobalPositioning System) sensor that is used to determine the location of thesmart container. The smart container could unlock itself only if afacial scan of the person handling/holding the container matches afacial scan of the intended recipient and/the recipient enters a correctpasscode, and/or the facial scan and/or passcode were received by thesmart container at a location determined by the GPS to be within athreshold range of an intended destination location and within athreshold time.

In another example, a smart container is equipped with a communicationsdevice that uses GPS and cellular/Internet connectivity to report itslocation in real-time or near real-time to both the sender and therecipient. This would be particularly useful for packages that wouldotherwise be lost in transit due to logistical errors or intentionalsabotage. Similarly, smart containers that are stolen—either in route orafter arrival at the intended destination—could report their location toauthorized entities, including the sender, the recipient, and/or lawenforcement.

In another example, a smart container is equipped with sensors andcircuitry that detect when the package is being intentionally tamperedwith. The container could further use cellular connectivity to notifylaw enforcement when this occurs, thereby serving as a security measureby countering and deterring attempts at theft. Other security featurescould also be included, such as a motion detector coupled to an externalcamera that automatically activates and captures a photograph/video of aperson tampering with or attempting to steal the smart container.

Other examples include smart containers that are equipped with a varietyof sensors—thermometers for measuring temperature, scales for measuringweight, humidity sensors for measuring humidity, accelerometers formeasuring movement, gyroscopes for measuring rotation, impact sensorsfor detecting impact and physical shock, etc.—which would enablemonitoring details about the status/condition of a smart container andcommunicating those details to relevant parties when needed. The sensorscan monitor properties and communicate the measurements on-demand or atregular intervals to a remote computing device using that data tocontinually update a mobile application and/or a computer of therecipient, sender, and/or a centralized shipping-management system withstatus updates.

In an example, smart containers are standalone devices that areconfigured to autonomously initiate or terminate a protocol in responseto input detected at the smart container. The protocol can includecommunicating data via a wireless interface. A protocol can betriggered, for example, upon leaving a carrier company or arriving at anintended destination or intermediate locations. Furthermore, thisfunctionality can be generalized into a process including programmingthe smart container with a manifest of intermediate locations it needsto pass through to get to a destination. For example, the smartcontainer can include a scanner that scans a barcode or is physicallytapped at each designated location along a route, causing the smartcontainer to generate and communicate a signal that apprises acentralized management system with status updates.

The aforementioned functionality is a paradigm shift for shipping anddelivery—specifically, a decentralized one, which could become a part ofthe gig economy, for example. Specifically, a single smart containercould be handled and processed by multiple, independent shippers insteadof a single, centralized carrier service like FedEx or UPS. Based on theforegoing discussion, the disclosed technology can be conceptualized asnot only being capable of enhancing the security and reliability ofservices provided by traditional shipping services that manage their ownmanifests (e.g., USPS, FedEx, UPS)—but also enable decentralized (e.g.,gig economy-based) shipping services which can execute manifestsprovided by someone other than the entities that provide thedecentralized shipping service. In other words, thecarrier-independent-shipping is enabled by effectively automatingportions of the logistics and supply-chain management that are currentlyhandled exclusively by carrier services.

The disclosed technology can include a centralized management componentof a shipping system. A smart container is identifiable by the systemusing a unique identifier, through which the system also communicateswith the container (in the sense of knowing, e.g., which of multipleactive containers to transmit which command(s) to). The uniqueidentifier can be registered with the system upon activation,registration, or initiation operation. Implementations could alsofeature different power-management and energy-storage systems, includingbatteries, solar cells, or wireless charging capabilities that aremanaged to ensure that critical components of the smart container remainenergized over other components, depending on current circumstances orthe status of the smart container.

The description and associated drawings are illustrative examples andare not to be construed as limiting. For example, although thisdisclosure focuses on examples of technology integrated in smartcontainers, other examples include devices that can be included insideany container to convert a non-smart container into smart containers.Likewise, although the disclosure focuses on examples of reusable smartcontainers, the use of disposable containers that integrate or holdsmart-enabling technologies are within the scope of the disclosedtechnology. For example, a smartphone being shipped to a customer couldoperate in a mode that converts the container in which it is beingtransported into a smart container. This disclosure provides certaindetails for a thorough understanding and enabling description of theseexamples. One skilled in the relevant technology will understand,however, that the invention can be practiced without many of thesedetails. Likewise, one skilled in the relevant technology willunderstand that the invention can include well-known structures orfeatures that are not shown or described in detail, to avoidunnecessarily obscuring the descriptions of examples.

Wireless Communications System

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a wireless telecommunicationnetwork 100 (“network 100”) in which aspects of the disclosed technologyare incorporated. The network 100 includes base stations 102-1 through102-4 (also referred to individually as “base station 102” orcollectively as “base stations 102”). A base station is a type ofnetwork access node (NAN) that can also be referred to as a cell site, abase transceiver station, or a radio base station. The network 100 caninclude any combination of NANs including an access point, radiotransceiver, gNodeB (gNB), NodeB, eNodeB (eNB), Home NodeB or HomeeNodeB, or the like. In addition to being a wireless wide area network(WWAN) base station, a NAN can be a wireless local area network (WLAN)access point, such as an Institute of Electrical and ElectronicsEngineers (IEEE) 802.11 access point.

The NANs of a network 100 formed by the network 100 also includewireless devices 104-1 through 104-7 (referred to individually as“wireless device 104” or collectively as “wireless devices 104”) and acore network 106. The wireless devices 104-1 through 104-7 cancorrespond to or include network 100 entities capable of communicationusing various connectivity standards. For example, a 5G communicationchannel can use millimeter wave (mmW) access frequencies of 28 GHz ormore. In some implementations, the wireless device 104 can operativelycouple to a base station 102 over a long-term evolution/long-termevolution-advanced (LTE/LTE-A) communication channel, which is referredto as a 4G communication channel.

The core network 106 provides, manages, and controls security services,user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol(IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. Thebase stations 102 interface with the core network 106 through a firstset of backhaul links (e.g., S1 interfaces) and can perform radioconfiguration and scheduling for communication with the wireless devices104 or can operate under the control of a base station controller (notshown). In some examples, the base stations 102 can communicate witheach other, either directly or indirectly (e.g., through the corenetwork 106), over a second set of backhaul links 110-1 through 110-3(e.g., X1 interfaces), which can be wired or wireless communicationlinks.

The base stations 102 can wirelessly communicate with the wirelessdevices 104 via one or more base station antennas. The cell sites canprovide communication coverage for geographic coverage areas 112-1through 112-4 (also referred to individually as “coverage area 112” orcollectively as “coverage areas 112”). The geographic coverage area 112for a base station 102 can be divided into sectors making up only aportion of the coverage area (not shown). The network 100 can includebase stations of different types (e.g., macro and/or small cell basestations). In some implementations, there can be overlapping geographiccoverage areas 112 for different service environments (e.g.,Internet-of-Things (IoT), mobile broadband (MBB), vehicle-to-everything(V2X), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-to-everything (M2X),ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), machine-typecommunication (MTC), etc.).

The network 100 can include a 5G network 100 and/or an LTE/LTE-A orother network. In an LTE/LTE-A network, the term eNB is used to describethe base stations 102, and in 5G new radio (NR) networks, the term gNBsis used to describe the base stations 102 that can include mmWcommunications. The network 100 can thus form a heterogeneous network100 in which different types of base stations provide coverage forvarious geographic regions. For example, each base station 102 canprovide communication coverage for a macro cell, a small cell, and/orother types of cells. As used herein, the term “cell” can relate to abase station, a carrier or component carrier associated with the basestation, or a coverage area (e.g., sector) of a carrier or base station,depending on context.

A macro cell generally covers a relatively large geographic area (e.g.,several kilometers in radius) and can allow access by wireless devicesthat have service subscriptions with a wireless network 100 serviceprovider. As indicated earlier, a small cell is a lower-powered basestation, as compared to a macro cell, and can operate in the same ordifferent (e.g., licensed, unlicensed) frequency bands as macro cells.Examples of small cells include pico cells, femto cells, and microcells. In general, a pico cell can cover a relatively smaller geographicarea and can allow unrestricted access by wireless devices that haveservice subscriptions with the network 100 provider. A femto cell coversa relatively smaller geographic area (e.g., a home) and can providerestricted access by wireless devices having an association with thefemto unit (e.g., wireless devices in a closed subscriber group (CSG),wireless devices for users in the home). A base station can support oneor multiple (e.g., two, three, four, and the like) cells (e.g.,component carriers). All fixed transceivers noted herein that canprovide access to the network 100 are NANs, including small cells.

The communication networks that accommodate various disclosed examplescan be packet-based networks that operate according to a layeredprotocol stack. In the user plane, communications at the bearer orPacket Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer can be IP-based. A RadioLink Control (RLC) layer then performs packet segmentation andreassembly to communicate over logical channels. A Medium Access Control(MAC) layer can perform priority handling and multiplexing of logicalchannels into transport channels. The MAC layer can also use Hybrid ARQ(HARQ) to provide retransmission at the MAC layer, to improve linkefficiency. In the control plane, the Radio Resource Control (RRC)protocol layer provides establishment, configuration, and maintenance ofan RRC connection between a wireless device 104 and the base stations102 or core network 106 supporting radio bearers for the user planedata. At the Physical (PHY) layer, the transport channels are mapped tophysical channels.

Wireless devices can be integrated with or embedded in other devices. Asillustrated, the wireless devices 104 are distributed throughout thewireless telecommunications network 100, where each wireless device 104can be stationary or mobile. For example, wireless devices can includehandheld mobile devices 104-1 and 104-2 (e.g., smartphones, portablehotspots, tablets, etc.); laptops 104-3; smart container 104-4; drones104-5; vehicles with wireless connectivity 104-6; head-mounted displayswith wireless augmented reality/virtual reality (ARNR) connectivity104-7; portable gaming consoles; wireless routers, gateways, modems, andother fixed-wireless access devices; wirelessly connected sensors thatprovides data to a remote server over a network; IoT devices such aswirelessly connected smart home appliances, etc.

A wireless device (e.g., wireless devices 104-1, 104-2, 104-3, 104-4,104-5, 104-6, and 104-7) can be referred to as a user equipment (UE), acustomer premise equipment (CPE), a mobile station, a subscriberstation, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a remoteunit, a handheld mobile device, a remote device, a mobile subscriberstation, terminal equipment, an access terminal, a mobile terminal, awireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a mobile client, aclient, or the like.

A wireless device can communicate with various types of base stationsand network 100 equipment at the edge of a network 100 including macroeNBs/gNBs, small cell eNBs/gNBs, relay base stations, and the like. Awireless device can also communicate with other wireless devices eitherwithin or outside the same coverage area of a base station viadevice-to-device (D2D) communications.

The communication links 114-1 through 114-9 (also referred toindividually as “communication link 114” or collectively as“communication links 114”) shown in network 100 include uplink (UL)transmissions from a wireless device 104 to a base station 102, and/ordownlink (DL) transmissions from a base station 102 to a wireless device104. The downlink transmissions can also be called forward linktransmissions while the uplink transmissions can also be called reverselink transmissions. Each communication link 114 includes one or morecarriers, where each carrier can be a signal composed of multiplesub-carriers (e.g., waveform signals of different frequencies) modulatedaccording to the various radio technologies. Each modulated signal canbe sent on a different sub-carrier and carry control information (e.g.,reference signals, control channels), overhead information, user data,etc. The communication links 114 can transmit bidirectionalcommunications using frequency division duplex (FDD) (e.g., using pairedspectrum resources) or Time division duplex (TDD) operation (e.g., usingunpaired spectrum resources). In some implementations, the communicationlinks 114 include LTE and/or mmW communication links.

In some implementations of the network 100, the base stations 102 and/orthe wireless devices 104 include multiple antennas for employing antennadiversity schemes to improve communication quality and reliabilitybetween base stations 102 and wireless devices 104. Additionally oralternatively, the base stations 102 and/or the wireless devices 104 canemploy multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) techniques that can takeadvantage of multi-path environments to transmit multiple spatial layerscarrying the same or different coded data.

Shipping System for Smart Containers

FIG. 2 is a diagram that illustrates a system 200 for transporting asmart container 202. As shown, the system 200 includes components thatare interconnected over one or more networks illustrated withsolid/dashed arrows. The networks may include any combination ofprivate, public, wired, or wireless portions. The data or informationcommunicated over the networks may be encrypted or unencrypted atvarious locations or along different portions of the networks.

Each component of the system 200 can include combinations of hardwareand/or software to process data or information, perform functions,communicate over the networks, and the like. For example, any componentof the system 200 may include a processor, memory or storage, a networktransceiver, a display, operating system (OS) and application software(e.g., for providing a user interface), and the like. Other components,hardware, and/or software included in the system 200 that would be wellknown to persons skilled in the art are not shown or discussed hereinfor the sake of brevity.

The smart container 202 is a standalone portable device illustrated as abox that can hold a package, which is an object or group of objectstypically wrapped in paper, plastic, or otherwise packed inside thesmart container 202. For example, the smart container 202 can correspondto a carboard box for shipping a newly purchased smartphone to acustomer. A smart container can have any shape or size (e.g., rectangle,cylinder, envelope) and can be formed of rigid, semi-rigid, ordeformable materials (e.g., carboard, plastic, wood) that are weatherresistant and secure the package of the smart container 202 duringshipping and delivery.

The smart container 202 can implement a combination of at least someelectronic components (e.g., sensors), mechanical components (e.g.,actuators), or communications components (e.g., transceivers) that areat least partially embedded in its walls to enable monitoring, security,and other functions. As such, the smart container 202 is reusable by anentity (e.g., person or organization) for shipping different packages atdifferent times and to different locations. Integrating components intothe smart container 202, such as a keypad or camera on a surface of awall, allows for additional security functions.

In another example, the smart container 202 is a typical disposablecontainer (e.g., cardboard box) that is converted into a “smart”container when including the electronic, mechanical, and/orcommunications components as a bundled package (e.g., module) placedinside the disposable container along with the package being shippedfrom a sender to a recipient. As such, the bundled package is astandalone device that can be placed inside any standard smart containerto convert that standard smart container into a smart container.

The smart container 202 can communicate with a management component 204over networks. The management component 204 can be a component of ashipping service that executes on any number of server computers thatoperate to perform processes such as collecting sensor data in real-timefrom the smart container 202 and analyze the sensor data to determinethe status of the smart container 202 (e.g., based on outputs of sensorsof the smart container 202).

The management component 204 can include an orchestration engine thatsupports multiple independent parties (e.g., senders, recipients,carriers) involved in shipping multiple smart containers. The smartcontainer 202 can communicate status update data to the managementcomponent 204, which can issue commands to the smart container 202. Themanagement component 204 can store algorithms configured to supportshipping and delivery of numerous smart containers. For example, ashipping algorithm may include a combination of rules for selecting asuitable route and enable monitoring and security features for aparticular smart container. A set of rules of a delivery algorithm canpersonalize delivery for a recipient to, for example, requireauthentication of the person opening or handling the smart container202. A set of rules for a shipping algorithm designate certain personsfor handling or transporting the smart container 202 to a destination.For example, a set of rules of the shipping algorithm can select onlypersons who are registered with the management component 204 toparticipate in carrying the smart container 202 to a next location alonga transport route.

In some embodiments, any of the disclosed algorithms may includepolicies having rules, criteria, conditions, and/or thresholds that areset by a sender/recipient to apply the policies in a manner that ispersonalized for the sender/recipient. For example, a shipping algorithmmay include a rule set based on a recipient's preferred route and/orpersons transporting the smart container 202 between two locations.Another delivery algorithm can specify preferred authentication measuressuch as biometric authentication. Thus, the management component 204 canexecute a different set of rules for different smart containers or thesame set of rules for the same parties (e.g., the same shipping anddelivery preferences are applied for the same sender or recipient).Alternatively, the shipping and delivery algorithms can include the sameset of rules that are applied in the same way to different parties.

The management component 204 can communicate with a mobile application(“app”) running on a mobile device 206, which can be used by the user208 to communicate with the management component 204 regarding the smartcontainer 202. For example, the user 208 of the mobile device 206 cansetup a shipping manifest for the smart container 202. As such, themanagement component 204 can send updates to the mobile app on themobile device 206. The mobile device 206 is an example of a computingdevice that can interact with the system 200. Examples includesmartphones, tablet computers, personal computers, and any other devicethat is capable of exchanging data with the management component 204over the networks. In some embodiments, the app of the mobile device 206can communicate directly with the smart container 202 to implementsecurity and tracking capabilities, etc.

The system 200 can optionally include a shipping company 210 (e.g., acarrier) that can communicate with the management component 204 overnetworks. Examples of the shipping company 210 range from large deliveryservices companies (e.g., FedEx, UPS) that use trucks, railroads, oraircraft to smaller courier companies that operate within specific townsor regions and use bicycles, motorcycles, or drones. In general,commercial services include a distributed network of delivery vehiclesthat are managed under a common central service provider. As such,shipping a delivery of a package is relatively rigid and requirestransport only by vehicles that are controlled by or agents of theshipping service. Thus, the shipping company 210 can useshipper-independent-shipping protocols deployed by the managementcomponent 204 as part of its shipping capabilities or extend shippingcapabilities to include agents such as ride sharing services or anyunaffiliated driver.

The system 200 includes delivery vehicles 212 that can communicativelycouple to the management component 204 over networks. Examples of thedelivery vehicles 212 include a truck, car, motorcycle, drone, or anyother vehicle or device capable of transporting the smart container 202from a source location to a destination. The delivery vehicles 212 maybe affiliated or unaffiliated with the shipping company 210. Forunaffiliated delivery vehicles, drivers can register with the managementcomponent 204. The users registered with the management component 204can select delivery vehicles for shipping a particular smart container202 or allow the management component 204 to select one or more driversbased on algorithms that optimize for routes and ratings of drivers.

In one example, the smart container 202 can autonomously initiate orterminate a protocol in response to input detected at the smartcontainer 202. A protocol can include autonomously communicating certaindata via a wireless interface and over networks to the managementcomponent 204. In one example, a protocol is triggered in response todetecting that the smart container 202 left the shipping company 210 orarrived at an intended destination or intermediate locations. Thisfunctionality can be implemented as a process including programming thesmart container 202 with a manifest of geographic locations at expectedpoints in time during shipping. In one example, the smart container 202has a barcode scanner or other means used for identifying locations(e.g., including facilities tagged with barcodes). The smart container202 can generate and communicate a signal that apprises the managementcomponent 204 when the smart container 202 is at a correct/incorrectlocation. In another example, the smart container 202 uses a biometricscan to identify a human transporter, an indication of which can becommunicated to the management component 204 as a status update. In yetanother example, the smart container can receive an input such as aphysical tap on a touch screen at locations along a route, and likewisegenerate and communicate a signal that apprises the management component204 of status updates based on the taps.

Security and Communications Capabilities

FIG. 3 is a diagram that illustrates security and communicationscapabilities of a smart container 302. The smart container 302 employs acombination of electronic, mechanical, and/or communications components(collectively referred to herein as “smart components 304”) that supportsecurity and communications capabilities (collectively referred toherein as “smart capabilities”). Examples of the smart components 304include combinations of circuitry, sensors, transducers, actuators, andtransceivers. The security capabilities mitigate the risk of losing thesmart container 302 while in transit, and the risk of the smartcontainer 302 being stolen or tampered with. Thus, the smart components304 operate to monitor that the smart container 302 is shipped to anauthorized recipient and delivered at an expected location and within arange of time.

In one example, the smart container 302 has a door 306 with a mechanicallock 308 that is electronically controlled and can only be unlocked inresponse to input of an authorization code or biometric scan thatmatches an authorized recipient. Moreover, the smart container 302 candetect unauthorized persons handling the smart container 302 and take anaction accordingly to mitigate loss or damage of its contents (e.g.,package 310). Further, the communications capabilities of the smartcontainer 302 enable communications of unauthorized events to devices ofauthorized persons (e.g., sender, recipient, shipping service, lawenforcement).

The smart capabilities of the smart container 302 can introduce orexpand functions of conventional shipping services or enableshipper-independent shipping that obviates the need for the conventionalshipping services. As shown, the smart container 302 carries the package310 (e.g., a smartphone) for transport from a sender to a recipient. Thesmart container 302 can be actively monitored, communicate status updatemessages in real-time or near real-time over a wireless network toauthorized parties. In addition, the smart container 302 can perform oneor more actions locally based on a detected anomalous event relative toexpected activity. The smart container 302 can also receive and processcommands over wireless networks from an authorized device. The commandscan activate or deactivate local capabilities of the smart container 302or change a shipping schedule, for example.

The smart components 304 can be bundled as a package of interconnectedcomponents that is separate and distinct from the smart container 302.The bundled package is then placed inside the smart container 302 alongwith the package 310. As such, the bundled package of components isreusable to place in different containers, which can be disposable orreusable. In another example, the smart components 304 are integratedinto one or more structures (e.g., walls) of the smart container 302. Assuch, the smart container 302 is reusable along with (but not separatefrom) the smart components 304.

The smart components 304 include one or more sensors 312 that are eachconfigured to detect, measure, and output sensor data indicative of oneor more properties of the smart container 302 or affecting shipmentthereof. Examples of the properties include movement, location, time,position, environment condition, weight, or any other indication of thestatus of the shipment. The sensor data can be used to determine ananomalous event that deviates from expected activity or non-anomalousactivity such as an indication that the smart container 302 is intransit, delivered, and/or probably damaged.

Various non-limiting examples of the sensors 312 include an image sensorfor capturing images, a biometric sensor for capturing a biometric scanto authenticate a person, a thermometer for measuring temperature, ascale for measuring a weight of the package 310, a humidity sensor thatmeasures humidity inside or outside of the smart container 302,accelerometers for measuring a movement or impact, a gyroscope formeasuring rotation, and a motion detector coupled to a camera thatautomatically activates to capture a photograph/video of a persontampering with or attempting to steal the smart container 302. The smartcontainer 302 can include a global positioning system (GPS) sensor thatreceives positioning signals from GPS satellites 314 and use thepositioning signals to determine the geographic location of the smartcontainer 302 at a point in time.

The smart container 302 can communicate status messages to devices ofauthorized entities (e.g., sender, recipient, shipping service), andrespond to sensor data by performing one or more actions. In oneexample, the smart container 302 detects that the package 310 ispositioned in an undesired manner and responds by causing actuators toreposition the package 310 or the smart container 302. In anotherexample, the smart container 302 has a mechanical lock that iselectronically controlled to secure the package 310 during transit andcan only be unlocked based on input that authorizes unlocking the smartcontainer 302. The smart container 302 can have a keypad, touch screen,or biometric sensor (e.g., for face or fingerprint detection). Thebiometric sensor can capture and process a biometric scan to determinewhether a person is authorized to unlock the smart container 302.Further, the GPS sensor is used to determine a location of the smartcontainer 302 and point in time when the biometric scan was captured. Ifan authorized biometric scan was captured at an acceptable location andtime, the smart container 302 unlocks. On the other hand, if any ofthese three factors does not match, the smart container 302 remainslocked and can send a message to an authorized entity indicating thatthere is an attempt to tamper with the smart container 302.

The smart components 304 can determine potential intrusions byunauthorized persons, along with an unauthorized location and/or at anunauthorized time. For example, the smart components 304 includeelectronic circuitry 316 having a processor and memory that storestransport instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes thesmart container 302 to perform one or more operations. The electroniccircuitry 316 can store the transport instructions for the smartcontainer 302. The transport instructions can include route data such aslocations at expected times, as well as data identifying persons thatare authorized to open or handle the smart container 302 and/or requiredpasscodes. The electronic circuitry 316 can process inputs and sensordata against that stored in a local memory to detect an anomalyindicative of an intrusion and determine the type of intrusion based on,for example, a locally stored intrusion detection model.

The smart components 304 can include an imaging device 318 (e.g.,camera) configured to capture images external to the smart container302. The imaging device 318 can optionally include or be coupled to abiometric sensor and/or motion sensor that triggers the imaging device318 to capture images when the biometric sensor detects a personattempting to access the package 310 or the motion sensor detectssomeone handling or attempting to tamper with the smart container 302.The smart container 302 can send a message over a wireless network to anauthorized device regarding whether an authorized or unauthorized personwas handling the smart container 302. The content of the message caninclude an image or video of the person.

The smart components 304 can include an audio signal generator 320configured to generate an audible alert in response to, for example,detecting an anomalous event relative to expected activity (e.g.,unauthorized person, location, or time of access). The audio signal canalso be used to locate the package. The smart container 302 includes apower source such as a battery 322 that powers the smart components 304.Embodiments could also feature different power-management andenergy-storage systems, including solar cells or battery chargingcapabilities that are managed to ensure that critical components of thesmart container 302 remain energized over non-critical components. Thecharging capabilities can include wired charging capabilities such thata person handling the smart container 302 can readily charge the battery322 by plugging it into a USB port. The smart container 302 can includewireless charging capabilities for wireless charging stations ondelivery vehicles.

The electronic circuitry 316 can include a power management controllerconfigured to manage power to the smart components 304 and prioritizepower for smart components 304 that are critical to securing the smartcontainer 302, especially when an anomalous event is detected. Forexample, power can be allocated to provide more frequent status updatesto an authorized device upon detecting that the smart container 302 hasbeen tampered with, lost, or stolen. The power can also be dynamicallyallocated based on an amount of power available from power sources. Forexample, when available power drops below a threshold amount, the powermanagement controller can disable non-essential sensors, place them insleep mode, or reduce the frequency by which they actively operate togenerate sensor data. As such, the power management controller can adaptthe smart container 302 to dynamically reallocate power away fromcertain components and toward other components at different times,throughout a transport process, depending on changing conditions orcircumstances.

The smart container 302 can respond to anomalous events autonomously orin response to commands from a remote system. For example, the smartcontainer 302 can include mechanical devices 326 (e.g., hydraulic pumps,actuators) that address and rectify problems that occur during shipmentand delivery. This is particularly important if the items being shippedare fragile, which would need to be handled with care and perhaps alsoremain upright while being transported, or after impact and/or rotation.In another example, the smart container 302 enables automatictemperature-control element 328 to moderate a temperature or dehumidifythe package 310 in response to a sensor measuring temperature orhumidity outside a desired range. This is particularly important when,for example, perishable packages cannot be exposed to temperaturesand/or humidity levels beyond a prescribed range while being shipped. Inanother example, the sensors 312 detect when the package 310 is beingintentionally tampered with. In response, the communications circuitry324 can use cellular connectivity to notify law enforcement, therebyserving as a security measure by countering and deterring attempts attheft. These actions can occur autonomously based on the data generatedby sensors, or they could respond to commands communicated wirelesslyover a communications network from a remote management device.

The communications circuitry 324 is configured to communicate statusupdate messages that are based on sensor data. The communicationscircuitry 324 is also configured to receive data from computing devicesauthorized to do so. The communications circuitry 324 can include atransceiver and an antenna configured to exchange data between the smartcontainer 302 and the cloud-based system 330 (e.g., administered by ashipping service) or other computing devices 332 (e.g., mobile phone,laptop, smartwatch) operated by authorized entities.

The communications circuitry 324 can couple the smart container 302 toone or more wired or wireless communications networks. Examples includea local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN) such as theInternet, a telecommunications network (e.g., 5G), and the like. Thecommunications circuitry 324 can also couple to computing devices thatare proximate to the smart container 302 over WiFi, Bluetooth,Near-Field Communication (NFC), or using other communications protocols.The communications circuitry 324 can electronically latch the smartcontainer 302 to an authorized device within range of its local network.For example, the smart container 302 can detect an authorizedrecipient's device within a range of its network and automatically latchto the recipient's device. Latching can cause the recipient's device toopen an app that prompts the user for authenticating informationrequired to unlock the smart container 302 and/or download trackingdata.

In one example, the smart container 302 uses GPS signals andcellular/Internet connectivity to report its location in real-time tothe sender, recipient, and/or management component. This is particularlyuseful for packages that would otherwise be lost in transit due tologistical errors or intentional sabotage. This is also extremely usefulfor shipping high value or sensitive items. Similarly, smart containersthat are stolen—either in route or after arrival at the intendeddestination—could report their location to the relevant parties,including the sender, the recipient, and/or law enforcement. As such,the smart components 304 generate data that is processed to producestatus updates, which the communications circuitry 324 can communicateto authorized devices including a centralized shipping-management system(e.g., the cloud-based system 330) and mobile applications running oncomputing devices of recipients or senders (e.g., end-user devices 332).The status updates can be communicated continuously, at regularintervals (e.g., periodically), or on-demand.

The communications circuitry 324 can also receive data communicated overthe wireless networks from remote or local systems. For example, anauthorized device can communicate a command for the smart container 302,which is processed with the electronic circuitry 316 to implement asetting or respond by providing a requested status update. In oneexample, a remote system can input sensor data to a centralized learningmodel in accordance with artificial intelligence or machine learning(ML) techniques to generate predictive feedback regarding whether ananomalous event is an actual problem (e.g., stolen or damaged package).The remote system can respond to the sensor data by sending a command tothe smart container 302 regarding the determined problem. As such, theremote system can process anomaly data to disambiguate between actualproblems and unexpected activity that is not problematic. Thisinformation is fed back to the smart container 302, which can use theinformation to perform or not perform a suitable action.

In one example, the package 310 that is being transported to a recipientcan include smart-enabling technology for a container. For example, asmartphone that is being shipped to a customer can be set in a mode toprovide technologies that convert the container into a smart container.That is, the hardware, software, communications circuitry, sensors, andother components of the smartphone (e.g., package 310) can operate in amode to track and report the status of the transport process anddynamically adapt the transport process depending on the status of thecontainer and/or the carriers that can transport the container. In oneimplementation, a display and input interface are integrated into thecontainer and communicatively couple with the smartphone beingtransported. As such, the smartphone enables smart functions of thesmart container 302, which only has the user interface componentsintegrated into the container itself.

The centralized learning model can be trained based on anomaly datagenerated by multiple smart containers to improve the precision by whichit predicts a problem while avoiding false positives. A smart containercan be uniquely identified among other smart containers based on aunique identifier. The unique identifier can be generated or used toregister the smart container with a service for monitoring its shipment.The unique identifier can be registered with the service upon someactivation, registration, or initiation operation. In one example, aremote device can gain authorization to query the smart container 302based on knowing its unique identifier. Moreover, the unique identifiercan be used by the centralized server to initiate communication with thesmart container.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram that illustrates processes 400 to activelysecure a smart container during transit and delivery. The smartcontainer includes smart components that enable security andcommunications capabilities. In one implementation, the smart componentsare at least partially integrated into walls of the smart container thatform an enclosed space. In another implementation, the smart componentsare bundled into a package (e.g., standalone portable module) that isseparate and distinct from the smart container and placed inside theenclosed space. As shown, operations of the processes are performed bydevices of authorized entities (e.g., senders, recipients, shippingservices), the smart containers, or a remote server computer (e.g., ofthe centralized management service). Any of these devices includes atleast one hardware processor, and at least one non-transitory memorystoring transport instructions, which, when executed by the at least onehardware processor, cause the device to perform the illustratedoperations.

At 402, the smart container receives or is programed with transportinstructions, which can be shipper-service agnostic. For example, thesmart container can receive the transport instructions from theauthorized devices or the central management service over a wirelessnetwork. The transport instructions can indicate transport preferencesof an entity other than a shipping company (e.g., sender, recipient). Inanother example, the transport instructions indicate transportinstructions set by a shipping company, where the transport instructionsindicate transport resources that are affiliated with the shippingcompany.

At 404, the smart container determines an anomalous event experienced bythe smart container relative to expected activity. The anomalous eventis determined based on sensor data output from a combination of sensorsincluded in the smart container. Examples include a motion sensorconfigured to detect movement of the smart container during transit ordelivery, a location sensor (e.g., GPS sensor) configured to detect alocation of the smart container at a point in time during transit ordelivery, an environmental sensor configured to detect an environmentcondition relative to the smart container, and a shock sensor (e.g.,accelerometer) configured to detect a physical impact.

In one example, the smart container includes an authentication sensor(e.g., a biometric sensor). The biometric sensor can capture a biometricscan of a person handling the smart container, compare the biometricscan to a reference scan stored at a local memory, and determine whetherthe current biometric scan matches the reference scan. As such, theanomalous event can indicate that a person handling the smart containeris unauthorized to do so because the biometric scan does not match thereference scan.

In another example, the smart container can determine that an actualmovement of the smart container deviated from an expected movementindicated in transport instructions. The expected movement can be anabsence of movement at a delivery address of a recipient of the smartcontainer, and the actual movement can include a movement away from thedelivery address, for example.

In another example, the smart container determines that a currentlocation of the smart container deviates from an expected location at anexpected time in accordance with transport instructions. The expectedlocation can be along a transport route at an expected point of time andthe actual location would not include the expected location.

In one example, the smart container determines an actual environmentcondition that deviates from an expected environment condition asindicated in transport instructions. The actual environment conditioncan be a temperature measurement or a humidity measurement greater thana threshold value.

At 406, the smart container communicates an indication of the anomalousevent over the wireless network to remote computers including, forexample, the central management service and the authorized devices. Forexample, the smart container includes communications circuitryconfigured to connect the device to remote computers over a wirelessnetwork. The communications circuitry can respond to determining theanomalous event by communicating the indication to relevant devices.

In one example, the smart container autonomously communicates statusupdates to a sender of the smart container, a recipient of the smartcontainer, a shipping service, and/or the central management service.The status updates can indicate non-anomalous activity at locations ofthe transport route at different points in time. The status updates canbe communicated in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

At 408, the central management service can process data indicative of apotential anomalous event with an ML model that can classify a smartcontainer as lost, stolen, tampered with, or damaged. The ML model istrained based on anomalous activity and non-anomalous activity reportedfrom multiple smart containers. The central management service cangenerate a command for the smart container based on output of the MLmodel. The command can indicate whether the smart container isclassified as lost, stolen, tampered with, or damaged. Further, thecommand causes the smart container to perform an action that mitigatesan effect of being lost, stolen, tampered with, or damaged, asclassified

At 410, the smart container optionally receives the command sent fromthe central management service based on the indication of the anomalousevent. As indicated earlier, the command can be generated based onoutput from the ML model that is trained based on data collected frommultiple smart containers. As such, the command causes the smartcontainer to perform an action based on anomalous and non-anomalousactivity learned from a network of smart containers.

At 412, the smart container responds to the anomalous event byperforming an action in accordance with transport instructions. In someimplementations, the action is based on the command received from thecentral management service in response to the indication of theanomalous event. In one example, the smart container includes an imagesensor positioned to face away from the smart container and the actionincludes causing the image sensor to capture an image of a sceneexternal to the smart container.

In another example, the smart container includes a power managementcircuit configured to dynamically allocate power among the smartcomponents. As such, for example, the action can include causing thepower management circuit to prioritize powering the communicationscircuitry to increase a frequency of communicating status updatemessages. In another example, the smart container includes an audiosignal generator and the action includes causing the audio signalgenerator to generate an audible alert. In yet another example, thesmart container includes an actuator that can reposition the smartcontainer to a desired position. In another example, the smart containerincludes an electronic lock configured to secure a door of the smartcontainer. To unlock the lock, the user must input authenticating data.As such, the action can include requiring additional input toauthenticate the user.

The authorized entities can query the smart container or centralmanagement service for status updates on demand. For example, at 414,the smart container receives, from an authorized device, a query for astatus update of the smart container. The query includes a uniqueidentifier that differentiates the smart container from multiple smartcontainers. At 416, the authorized device receives query resultsindicating a status update including an indication of the anomalousevent and/or indications of non-anomalous activity.

Dynamic Multi-Carrier Transport Processes

The disclosed system includes a smart container and orchestration enginethat can adapt a transport process dynamically to utilize multiple typesof carriers to optimize transport for a target parameter. This processis enabled with communications technology of the smart container thatprovides status or tracking data independent of carrier data to makechanges on the fly as needed. The technology can be implemented bydifferent types of entities (e.g., organizations, businesses,individuals) to improve customer experience with speedy delivery,repairs, and replacements. In addition, the technology improves serviceto rural markets where shipping choices are limited. As such, forexample, a commercial entity can expand its footprint by utilizingdifferent types of carriers that operate independently in new ecosystemsto potentially serve numerous new customers. Accompanying benefits alsoinclude dynamic discovery of optimal routes for transport processes, aswell as real-time communications that are sender and carrier-independentfor tracking smart containers, and securely adapting transportprocesses.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart that illustrates a process 500 performed by asmart container to dynamically update a transport process. The smartcontainer can include at least one network interface configured toconnect to the orchestration engine and different types of carriers overvarious communications networks. Examples of carrier types includenational/global carriers, regional/local carriers, gig workers,corporate/contracted carriers, or short-range delivery services such asunmanned autonomous robots, land vehicles, or aerial vehicles (e.g.,drones). The different types of carriers can each generate status datathat is indicative of a capability to advance the smart container towarda destination.

Examples of the communications networks include a telecommunicationsnetwork, a computer network, and a short-range radio network. The smartcontainer includes hardware coupled to the network interfaces and thatruns software instructions to dynamically implement or discover optimalcombinations of carriers and routes for a transport process. In oneexample, a smart container is configured to transport a smartphone of atelecommunications operator to a subscriber in accordance with atransport process defined in transport instructions executed by ahardware processor. In another example, the transport process isdynamically adapted based on real-time data obtained from differentcarriers and the smart container.

The smart container can include a display device that is configured todisplay information of the transport process. Examples include a dynamicdisplay of machine scannable data and shipping label data. The smartcontainer can also receive inputs for the transport process including adelivery time, an acceptable cost, or handling instructions (e.g.,fragile, temperature sensitive, perishable). Examples of the inputinterface can include hardware buttons or a touch-sensitive display. Thesmart container can also include a short-range radio interface (e.g.,Bluetooth interface, NFC) that can connect to mobile devices withinshort distances. As such, a user can use a mobile app on a smartphone toprogram the smart container. A user can also program the smart containervia a web portal over the internet.

At 502, the smart container is configured to monitor and reportnotifications regarding the status of a transport process. The transportprocess is based on transport instructions that define multiple types ofcarriers that handoff the smart container along a journey from thesender location to the destination. The orchestration engine can selecta carrier to transport the smart container to a destination or select acombination of carrier types for transporting the smart container to thedestination. For example, the orchestration engine can designate a firstcarrier (e.g., national carrier) of a first type to transport the smartcontainer from a pickup location to a transfer point, where the smartcontainer is handed off to a second carrier of a second type (e.g.,drone service) that delivers the smart container to the destination tocomplete the transport process.

The orchestration engine prepares the transport instructions that arecommunicated to the smart container, to program the smart container formonitoring the transport process. Storing a copy of the transportinstructions at the smart container enables semi-autonomous behaviorincluding reconfiguring the transport process based on local sensor dataor carrier data from carriers. The smart container, orchestrationengine, and/or carriers can intermittently connect over communicationsnetwork(s) and exchange status data. The intermittent nature of theconnection can be deliberate to, for example, conserve battery power ofthe smart container or unintentional due to poor network coverage. Assuch, the smart container is configured to perform processes under thecontrol of the orchestration engine, semi-autonomously, and/orautonomously.

At 504, the smart container can determine a status of the smartcontainer based on a comparison of locally generated sensor data withexpected sensor data as indicated in the transport instructions. Thesmart container can include at least one sensor that generates thesensor data while the transport process is ongoing. For example, thesmart container can include a location sensor configured to estimate alocation of the smart container, an accelerometer configured to detectmovement or physical impact of the smart container, and/or anenvironmental sensor configured to detect an environmental conditionrelative to the smart container.

In one example, the smart container can determine an anomalousenvironmental condition that could affect contents of the smartcontainer based on the sensor data output by a temperature sensor, ahumidity sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like. In another example, thesmart container can determine an anomalous location based on the sensordata output by a location sensor. In yet another example, the smartcontainer can determine anomalous movement based on the sensor dataoutput by an accelerometer or gyroscope. The smart container can then,when connected to a network, report notifications including a status tothe orchestration engine, the carriers, and/or a recipient of the smartcontainer.

The smart container can be configured to track its location at points intime against expected locations as indicated in the transportinstructions. As such, the smart container can detect being within arange of a pickup location, a transfer location, and a location of thedestination. The transfer location can refer to a scheduled point on theroute where custody of the smart container is transferred betweencarriers. Any of the scheduled locations can be overridden to adapt to amodified/updated transport process. The smart container can use thetracking data and/or sensor data to detect malicious activity. Themalicious activity can include an anomalous pattern of unexpectedmovements or mode of transportation (e.g., indicative of theft orfraud). In response, the smart container can report the maliciousactivity over the communications network to the orchestration engine andtrigger an alarm including a visual component and/or an audio component.

At 506, the smart container can receive at least an indication ofcarrier status data of different types of carriers. The carrier statusdata can be provided directly to the smart device over a communicationsnetwork or through the orchestration engine. For example, theorchestration engine can process the carrier status data to preparemodified instructions that are sent to reprogram the smart container.The orchestration engine can select a combination of carriers ofdifferent types to transport the smart container toward the destinationand optimize the transport process based on real-time data. The smartcontainer can also detect an inability to connect to the orchestrationengine over communications network and respond by determining thecurrent status of the container and autonomously modify the transportinstructions.

At 508, the transport instructions at the smart container are updatedbased on the status data of the smart container and the carriers tooptimize the transport process for a target parameter. Examples of thetarget parameter include a time remaining to the destination, a distanceremaining to the destination, or a cost to advance the transportprocess. In one example, the smart container can autonomously simulatecombinations of route segments for the transport process based oncarrier data. In another example, the smart container can autonomouslyuse the status data provided by the carriers or orchestration engine toautonomously reconfigure the transport process and/or reconfigure howthe smart container tracks or reports ongoing status data relative toexpected data. The updated transport instructions can mitigate an effectof the anomalous environmental condition, the anomalous location, or theanomalous movement.

The smart container can receive the modified instructions from theorchestration engine, where the modified instructions were generatedbased on status data of the smart container and the carriers. Theupdated transport instructions can also be modified to optimize for thetarget parameter. In one example, when the target parameter is set tooptimize a cost to complete the transport process, the orchestrationengine or smart container can receive multiple bids from multiplecarriers to participate in transporting the container toward thedestination. The bids can include a proposed cost for each carrier andother information related to handling and transporting the smartcontainer toward the destination. As such, a next carrier can beselected on the fly based on a winning bid to reduce the shipping costto the destination. The orchestration engine can modify the transportinstructions to require a handoff to the next carrier at a designatedtime and transfer location. The smart container can also receive, fromthe orchestration engine, new shipping label data that can bedynamically displayed on the display device of the smart container.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart that illustrates a process 600 performed by theorchestration engine to dynamically update a transport process for thesmart container. The process 600 can include functions that are similarto process 500 but performed by the orchestration engine. In anotherexample, functions of processes 500 and 600 can be performedcollectively to provide additional flexibility to dynamically adapt thetransport process based on current feedback collected from carriers orthe smart container itself. The orchestration engine can include networkinterface(s) configured to connect to the smart container and carriersover communications network(s) coupled to hardware that executessoftware to perform a dynamically adaptive transport process.

At 602, the orchestration engine configures the smart container toreport status data regarding a transport process of the smart container.The transport instructions are configured by the orchestration engineand designate an initial carrier that directs the transport process.While the transport process is ongoing in accordance with the transportinstructions, the orchestration engine can orchestrate dynamic adaptionof the transport process as described earlier.

At 604, the orchestration engine can receive, over communicationsnetwork(s), the carrier status data of different types of carriers andstatus data of the smart container. In one example, the orchestrationengine can receive capability notifications from the multiple carriersand status update notifications from the semi-autonomous smartcontainer. The orchestration engine can determine, based on the statusupdate notifications, when a route segment is completed, and the smartcontainer is ready for a handoff to another carrier. As such, thetransport instructions can be modified based on capability notificationsand the status update notifications to indicate a next carrier and typefor the handoff.

At 606, the orchestration engine can modify the transport instructionsbased on the carrier data and the status data of the smart container tooptimize the transport process for a target parameter. In one example,the modified transport instructions are prepared by partitioning atransport route of the transport process into multiple segments andcarriers. The transport route spans a starting point to a destination ofthe smart container. The orchestration engine then determines an optimalroute including a combination of one or more segments that optimize forthe target parameter and sends instructions to carriers of the one ormore segments. The transport instructions can include, for example, anaddress, payment, special instructions, and shipping labels forcompleting the route.

At 608, the orchestration engine can communicate, over communicationsnetwork(s), the modified transport instructions to the smart containerto reconfigure the transport process. The smart container can update thelocal copy of the transport instructions based on the modified transportinstructions. The orchestration engine can also send modified/updatedtransport instructions to a next carrier for a next segment of the routeof the transport process, receive shipping label data from the nextcarrier, and communicate the shipping label data to the smart container.The smart container can then display the shipping label data for thenext carrier.

Computer System

FIG. 7 is a block diagram that illustrates an example of a computersystem 700 in which at least some operations described herein can beimplemented. As shown, the computer system 700 (e.g., smart containers202, 302) can include: one or more processors 702, main memory 706,non-volatile memory 710, a network interface device 712, video displaydevice 718, an input/output device 720, a control device 722 (e.g.,keyboard and pointing device), a drive unit 724 that includes a storagemedium 726, and a signal generation device 730 that are communicativelyconnected to a bus 716. The bus 716 represents one or more physicalbuses and/or point-to-point connections that are connected byappropriate bridges, adapters, or controllers. Various common components(e.g., cache memory) are omitted from FIG. 7 for brevity. Instead, thecomputer system 700 is intended to illustrate a hardware device on whichcomponents illustrated or described relative to the examples of thefigures and any other components described in this specification can beimplemented.

The computer system 700 can take any suitable physical form. Forexample, the computing system 700 can share a similar architecture asthat of a server computer, personal computer (PC), tablet computer,mobile telephone, game console, music player, wearable electronicdevice, network-connected (“smart”) device (e.g., a television or homeassistant device), AR/VR systems (e.g., head-mounted display), or anyelectronic device capable of executing a set of instructions thatspecify action(s) to be taken by the computing system 700. In someimplementation, the computer system 700 can be an embedded computersystem, a system-on-chip (SOC), a single-board computer system (SBC) ora distributed system such as a mesh of computer systems or include oneor more cloud components in one or more networks. Where appropriate, oneor more computer systems 700 can perform operations in real-time, nearreal-time, or in batch mode.

The network interface device 712 enables the computing system 700 tomediate data in a network 714 with an entity that is external to thecomputing system 700 through any communication protocol supported by thecomputing system 700 and the external entity. Examples of the networkinterface device 712 include a network adaptor card, a wireless networkinterface card, a router, an access point, a wireless router, a switch,a multilayer switch, a protocol converter, a gateway, a bridge, bridgerouter, a hub, a digital media receiver, and/or a repeater, as well asall wireless elements noted herein.

The memory (e.g., main memory 706, non-volatile memory 710,machine-readable medium 726) can be local, remote, or distributed.Although shown as a single medium, the machine-readable medium 726 caninclude multiple media (e.g., a centralized/distributed database and/orassociated caches and servers) that store one or more sets ofinstructions 728. The machine-readable (storage) medium 726 can includeany medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set ofinstructions for execution by the computing system 700. Themachine-readable medium 726 can be non-transitory or comprise anon-transitory device. In this context, a non-transitory storage mediumcan include a device that is tangible, meaning that the device has aconcrete physical form, although the device can change its physicalstate. Thus, for example, non-transitory refers to a device remainingtangible despite this change in state.

Although implementations have been described in the context of fullyfunctioning computing devices, the various examples are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms. Examples ofmachine-readable storage media, machine-readable media, orcomputer-readable media include recordable-type media such as volatileand non-volatile memory devices 710, removable flash memory, hard diskdrives, optical disks, and transmission-type media such as digital andanalog communication links.

In general, the routines executed to implement examples herein can beimplemented as part of an operating system or a specific application,component, program, object, module, or sequence of instructions(collectively referred to as “computer programs”). The computer programstypically comprise one or more instructions (e.g., instructions 704,708, 728) set at various times in various memory and storage devices incomputing device(s). When read and executed by the processor 702, theinstruction(s) cause the computing system 700 to perform operations toexecute elements involving the various aspects of the disclosure.

Remarks

The terms “example”, “embodiment” and “implementation” are usedinterchangeably. For example, reference to “one example” or “an example”in the disclosure can be, but not necessarily are, references to thesame implementation; and, such references mean at least one of theimplementations. The appearances of the phrase “in one example” are notnecessarily all referring to the same example, nor are separate oralternative examples mutually exclusive of other examples. A feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with an example canbe included in another example of the disclosure. Moreover, variousfeatures are described which can be exhibited by some examples and notby others. Similarly, various requirements are described which can berequirements for some examples but no other examples.

The terminology used herein should be interpreted in its broadestreasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction withcertain specific examples of the invention. The terms used in thedisclosure generally have their ordinary meanings in the relevanttechnical art, within the context of the disclosure, and in the specificcontext where each term is used. A recital of alternative language orsynonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. Specialsignificance should not be placed upon whether or not a term iselaborated or discussed herein. The use of highlighting has no influenceon the scope and meaning of a term. Further, it will be appreciated thatthe same thing can be said in more than one way.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,”“coupled,” or any variant thereof means any connection or coupling,either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling orconnection between the elements can be physical, logical, or acombination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,”and words of similar import can refer to this application as a whole andnot to any particular portions of this application. Where contextpermits, words in the above Detailed Description using the singular orplural number may also include the plural or singular numberrespectively. The word “or” in reference to a list of two or more itemscovers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of theitems in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination ofthe items in the list. The term “module” refers broadly to softwarecomponents, firmware components, and/or hardware components.

While specific examples of technology are described above forillustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possiblewithin the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant artwill recognize. For example, while processes or blocks are presented ina given order, alternative implementations can perform routines havingsteps, or employ systems having blocks, in a different order, and someprocesses or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined,and/or modified to provide alternative or sub-combinations. Each ofthese processes or blocks can be implemented in a variety of differentways. Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as ongoing inseries, these processes or blocks can instead be performed orimplemented in parallel, or can be performed at different times.Further, any specific numbers noted herein are only examples such thatalternative implementations can employ differing values or ranges.

Details of the disclosed implementations can vary considerably inspecific implementations while still being encompassed by the disclosedteachings. As noted above, particular terminology used when describingfeatures or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply thatthe terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to anyspecific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention withwhich that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in thefollowing claims should not be construed to limit the invention to thespecific examples disclosed herein, unless the above DetailedDescription explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scopeof the invention encompasses not only the disclosed examples, but alsoall equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention underthe claims. Some alternative implementations can include additionalelements to those implementations described above or include fewerelements.

Any patents and applications and other references noted above, and anythat may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties, except for any subject matterdisclaimers or disavowals, and except to the extent that theincorporated material is inconsistent with the express disclosureherein, in which case the language in this disclosure controls. Aspectsof the invention can be modified to employ the systems, functions, andconcepts of the various references described above to provide yetfurther implementations of the invention. Additional systems, functions,and concepts are described in related U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/403,566, filed on Aug. 16, 2021, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety for all purposes.

To reduce the number of claims, certain implementations are presentedbelow in certain claim forms, but the applicant contemplates variousaspects of an invention in other forms. For example, aspects of a claimcan be recited in a means-plus-function form or in other forms, such asbeing embodied in a computer-readable medium. A claim intended to beinterpreted as a mean-plus-function claim will use the words “meansfor.” However, the use of the term “for” in any other context is notintended to invoke a similar interpretation. The applicant reserves theright to pursue such additional claim forms in either this applicationor in a continuing application.

1. A smart container configured to dynamically modify a transportprocess, the smart container comprising: at least one network interfaceconfigured to connect to an orchestration engine and multiple carrierdevices over at least one communications network, wherein each carrierdevice generates carrier status data indicative of a capability totransport containers; at least one hardware processor coupled to the atleast one network interface; and at least one non-transitory memorycoupled to the at least one processor and storing transportinstructions, which, when executed by the at least one hardwareprocessor, cause the smart container to: configure monitoring andreporting of a status of the transport process, wherein the transportinstructions indicate at least one carrier selected by the orchestrationengine from among multiple types of carriers to perform at least aportion of the transport process; while the transport process is ongoingin accordance with the transport instructions: determine a status of thesmart container based on a comparison of sensor data generated at thesmart container with expected sensor data indicated in the transportinstructions; receive at least an indication of the carrier status dataof the multiple carrier devices; and update the transport instructionsbased on the determined status of the smart container and the carrierstatus data to optimize the transport process for a target parameterincluding: a time remaining to a destination, a distance remaining tothe destination, or a cost to advance the transport process.
 2. Thesmart container of claim 1 further caused to, prior to the transportinstructions being updated: autonomously simulate combinations oftransport segments to optimize the transport process for the targetparameter, wherein the transport segments are associated with differenttypes of carriers, and wherein the carrier status data is received fromthe multiple carrier devices or via the orchestration engine; and selecta particular combination of transport segments that optimizes thetransport process for the target parameter, wherein the transportinstructions are updated to cause the smart container to monitor thestatus of the smart container relative to the particular combination oftransport segments.
 3. The smart container of claim 1: wherein the atleast one communications network includes a wireless telecommunicationsnetwork, and wherein the smart container is configured to transport awireless mobile device to a subscriber of the wirelesstelecommunications network.
 4. The smart container of claim 1comprising: at least one sensor that generates the sensor data while thetransport process is ongoing, wherein the at least one sensor includes:a location sensor configured to estimate a location of the smartcontainer, an accelerometer configured to detect movement or physicalimpact of the smart container, or an environmental sensor configured todetect an environmental condition relative to the smart container. 5.The smart container of claim 1 further caused to: intermittently connectto the orchestration engine and/or the multiple carrier devices over theat least one communications network; and in response to connecting tothe orchestration engine or the multiple carrier devices, report anotification including the status of the smart container to theorchestration engine, the multiple carrier devices, and/or a designatedrecipient of the smart container.
 6. The smart container of claim 1,wherein to determine the status of the smart container comprises causingthe smart container to: determine an anomalous environmental conditionthat potentially affects a good in the smart container based on thesensor data output by a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or apressure sensor; determine an anomalous location of the smart containerbased on the sensor data output by a location sensor; or determineanomalous movement of the container based on the sensor data output byan motion sensor, wherein the transport instructions are modified tomitigate an effect of the anomalous environmental condition, theanomalous location, or the anomalous movement.
 7. The smart container ofclaim 1, wherein the target parameter includes the cost to advance thetransport process, and wherein the smart container is further caused to:receive bids from the multiple carrier devices to transport the smartcontainer to the destination; and select one of the bids that optimizesfor the cost to advance the transport process relative to a costindicated in the transport instructions.
 8. The smart container of claim1, wherein the multiple types of carriers comprise: a national or globalcarrier, a regional or local carrier, a gig worker registered or notregistered with an online worker platform, a corporate or contractedcarrier, or a short-distance delivery service of unmanned autonomousrobots, land vehicles, or aerial vehicles.
 9. The smart container ofclaim 1 comprising: a display device configured to dynamically displaymachine scannable data and shipping label data associated with thetransport process; an input interface configured to receive user inputsto set or modify the transport process with a delivery time, anacceptable cost, or handling instructions; and a radio interfaceconfigured to connect with a mobile device over a short-range wirelessnetwork to receive inputs for the transport process via a mobile app onthe mobile device.
 10. The smart container of claim 1 further caused to:track the smart container relative to an expected route indicated in thetransport instructions; and detect that the smart container is within athreshold distance of a pickup location, a transfer location, and alocation of the destination, wherein the transfer location refers a topoint in the expected route to handover custody of the smart containerbetween carriers in accordance with the transport instructions.
 11. Thesmart container of claim 1 further caused to: detect malicious activitybased on the sensor data, wherein the malicious activity includes ananomalous pattern of unexpected movements or an unexpected mode oftransportation; report the malicious activity over the at least onecommunications network to the orchestration engine; and trigger an alarmat the smart container indicative of the malicious activity, wherein thealarm has a visual component and an audio component.
 12. The smartcontainer of claim 1, further caused to, prior to the transportinstructions being updated: detect that the smart container is unable toconnect over the at least one communications network to theorchestration engine; and in response to detecting the inability toconnect to the orchestration engine, autonomously determine the statusof the smart container and modify the transport instructions based onthe determined status.
 13. The smart container of claim 1, furthercaused to, prior to the transport instructions being updated: receive,over the at least one communications network from the orchestrationengine, modified instructions based on the carrier status data, whereinthe updated transport instructions are based on the status of the smartcontainer and the modified instructions.
 14. The smart container ofclaim 1 further comprising: a display device, wherein the smartcontainer is further caused to: receive, from the orchestration engine,new shipping label data based on the updated transport instructions; anddynamically display the new shipping label data on the display device.15. An orchestration engine configured to dynamically update a transportprocess for a smart container, the orchestration engine comprising: atleast one network interface configured to connect to the smart containerand multiple carrier devices over one or more communications networks,wherein each carrier device generates carrier status data indicative ofa capability of a carrier to transport the smart container; at least onehardware processor coupled to the at least one network interface; and atleast one non-transitory memory coupled to the at least one processorand storing transport instructions, which, when executed by the at leastone hardware processor, cause the orchestration engine to: configure thesmart container to report status data regarding a transport process ofthe smart container, and wherein the transport instructions designatemultiple types of carriers to independently direct portions of thetransport process; while the transport process is ongoing in accordancewith the transport instructions: receive, over the at least onecommunications network, the carrier status data generated by themultiple carrier devices and the status data of the smart container;modify the transport instructions based on the carrier status data andthe status data of the smart container to change the designated multipletypes of carriers that independently direct portions of the transportprocess; and cause the smart container to update a copy of the transportinstructions stored locally based on the modified transportinstructions, wherein the updated transport instructions re-configurethe smart container to monitor and report status data based on thechange to the designated multiple types of carriers.
 16. Theorchestration engine of claim 15, wherein to modify the transportinstructions comprises causing the orchestration engine to: partition atransport route of the transport process into multiple segments andcarriers, wherein the transport route spans a starting location and adestination location for the smart container; determine an optimal routeincluding a combination of one or more segments that optimize for atarget parameter; and send carrier instructions to carriers of the oneor more segments to assign the combination of one or more segments,wherein the transport instructions indicate a transfer or destinationaddress, payment, special handling instructions, and shipping labels forthe optimal route.
 17. The orchestration engine of claim 15 being causedto: receive status notifications of the multiple carriers and the smartcontainer; determine, based on the status notifications of the multiplecarriers and the smart container, when a portion of the transportprocess is complete and the smart container is ready for a handoff fromone carrier to another; and modify the transport instructions based onthe status notifications of the multiple carriers and the smartcontainer to indicate a next carrier for the handoff.
 18. Theorchestration engine of claim 15 being caused to: send the transportinstructions to a carrier device of a next carrier for a segment of thetransport process; receive shipping label data from the next carrier;and communicate the shipping label data to the smart container, whereinthe smart container is caused to display the shipping label data.
 19. Atleast one computer-readable storage medium, excluding transitory signalsand carrying instructions, which, when executed by at least one dataprocessor of a system, cause the system to: configure a smart containerto report real-time status data regarding a transport process for thesmart container, wherein the transport process spans a starting point toa destination of the smart container, is configured by an orchestrationengine, and is implemented by one or more carriers that are independentof the orchestration engine and each other; while the transport processis being implemented by the one or more carriers: receive, over at leastone communications network, real-time carrier data of the one or morecarriers and real-time status data of the smart container, wherein thereal-time carrier data is indicative of a capability of a carrier;modify the transport process based on the real-time carrier data and thereal-time status data of the smart container to optimize for a remainingtime, distance, or cost to ship the smart container to the destination;and communicate instructions to the smart container over the at leastone communications network, wherein the instructions reconfigure thesmart container for the modified transport process.
 20. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the one or morecarriers include different types comprising: a national or globalcarrier, a regional or local carrier, a gig worker registered or notregistered with an online worker platform, a corporate or contractedcarrier, a short-distance carrier of unmanned autonomous robots, landvehicles, or aerial vehicles, or a long-distance carrier of unmannedautonomous vehicles.